A gripping action story with a vein of star-crossed romance
In this prequel to 2022's THE RED CANOE, Buck, aka Michael Fineday, aka Red Deer is on his way to track down his wayward brother in the Twin Cities, when he's trapped in a snowstorm and rescued by Sally, a girl who is fighting her own demons. Though intrigued by Sally, most of Buck's time is spent trying to unravel his family's involvement with an elaborate racket which has recently gotten his cousin Ruben and his half-brother Bear killed.
Eli, Buck's surviving brother, is up to his neck in the racket that involves insurance fraud and stolen vehicles, and unwilling to tell Buck the truth. The racketeer's kingpin thinks Eli has something they want-which is both his death warrant and his salvation. The problem is, Eli doesn't know exactly what the something is or how to find it; his only clue is a phrase in Anishinaabe language Ruben scrawled on the wall of his room before he was killed, and it's up to Buck to track it down.
Meanwhile, Sally and Buck grow closer through the shared wounds of their difficult pasts; and Buck teaches her some Ashinaabe language and cultural practices. Strangely, all roads-both Sally's and Buck's-lead to the Witch Tree, an important spiritual reservoir in Native American religion, and where he is forced to face the many facets of his own identity and find a way for them both to heal.
About the Author :
Wayne Johnson is the multiple Pulitzer Prize-nominated author of THE RED CANOE, the acclaimed Paul Two Persons Mysteries DON'T THINK TWICE and SIX CROOKED HIGHWAYS, a thriller, THE DEVIL YOU KNOW, and many other works of fiction and nonfiction. Of mixed Native and European descent, he grew up in southern Minneapolis, and in the north lakes region of Minnesota on the White Earth and Red Lake Reservations. He currently resides in Salt Lake City. Find him online at waynejohnsonauthor.com
Review :
PRAISE FOR THE RED CANOE, BOOK ONE OF THE BUCK FINEDAY SERIESMost Anticipated Mysteries & Thrillers of 2022--Criminal Element
Most Anticipated Crime Fiction of 2022--CrimeReads
"From one of the most original voices of the past several years comes a powerful story of brutal violence and righteous vengeance. Set on a reservation in southern Minnesota, THE RED CANOE unflinchingly explores the challenges of racial prejudice and sexual predation faced by an extraordinary Native teenager. Master storyteller Wayne Johnson has crafted this tale with both compassion and wisdom, and keeps the suspense building relentlessly toward the novel's bitter cold and enormously satisfying climax."--William Kent Krueger, New York Times bestselling author of THIS TENDER LAND
"Heart-warming and gut- wrenching. A nuanced, superbly written justice thriller laced with unflinching grit and social commentary."--Booklist (Starred Review)
"A powerful story of Indigenous people who are abused but also determined to battle brutality and corruption themselves when they can't rely on the authorities."--Library Journal (Starred Review)
"Simultaneously heartbreaking and heart-pounding, THE RED CANOE is a gritty and yet tender novel about an unrelenting pursuit for justice, redemption, and revenge. With nods to classic noir, westerns, action movies, and wilderness survival stories, this novel has a cast of misfit unlikely heroes you'll root for 'til the bloody end."--Tara Laskowski, award-winning author of THE MOTHER NEXT DOOR
"Intriguing...Readers will care enough about Buck and Lucy to see how they fare."--Publishers Weekly
